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The pitch of a milling cutter refers to the number of inserts it holds in relation to its diameter. The coarser the pitch (fewer cutting inserts), the larger the chip gullet, which provides room for the chip as the cutter passes through a workpiece. Milling cutters may have coarse, fine, or extra-fine pitches.

The first type, shaped like the numerals "6" or "9", represents the ideal chip. The other types indicate the need for speed and feed adjustments, or selection of a different chipbreaker design.

"Drill Tool Geometry" provides an overview of each tool angle for a drill, including point angle and helix angle, and details the impact that each angle has on a cutting operation. Explore Tooling U-SME's full catalog to learn more about this course and other similar classes.

Most face mills are designed with fixed position insert pockets. Others are "modular" in that they accept a variety of insert cartridges that can hold inserts of different designs, and seat them at different angles. This expands the machining range of a single cutter body.

The tool nose radius is the angle formed by the point of the tool. This radius may be large for strength, or sharp for fine radius turning.

Since a sharp edge is weak and fractures easily, an insert’s cutting edge is prepared with particular shapes to strengthen it. Those shapes include a honed radius, a chamfer, a land, or a combination of the three.

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In turning, insert shape selection is based on the trade-off between strength and versatility. For example, larger point angles are stronger, such as round inserts for contouring and square inserts for roughing and finishing. The smaller angles (35o and 55o) are the most versatile for intricate work.

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Multi-point cutting tools are those that have two or more chip producing edges on a common body. Tool rotation then achieves the cut. Multi-point cutting tools include milling cutters, end mills, drills, reamers, andtaps.

Efficient metalcutting tools are all described by their angles or geometries. To better understand these angles, this program examines single-point turning tool and toolholder geometries, and milling and multi-point tool geometries.

To maintain close tolerances, maximize tool life, and obtain good finishes, careful and precise mounting of the insert is necessary. Additionally, the mounting of the milling tool to the machine is of high importance. Milling cutters less than 3 inches in diameter are of the integral-shank or one piece type. Those between 3 and 8 inches mount into an adapter which is fitted to the machine spindle. The larger ones, 8 inches and up, mount directly on the machine’s spindle.

Cutting tools have many shapes, each of which is described by its angles or geometry. This program, part of the Fundamentals of Tool Design Video Series, explores single-point and multi-point cutting tool geometries as well as the machining variables that affect the cutting tool design.

If you're looking to further your knowledge on this topic then we have you covered. Check out some of our related resources and products below to build upon the above training materials.

Nearly all turning processes use single point cutting tools, this is, tools that cut with only a single edge in contact with the work. Most turning is done with coated indexable carbide inserts, but the tool material may also be high-speed steel, brazed carbide, ceramic, cubic boron nitride, or polycrystalline diamond. 75 percent of turning operations use just a few basic tool geometries. When turning with inserts, much of the geometry is built into the tool holder itself rather than the actual insert. However, let's first focus on the inserts. The geometry of an insert includes:

Turning inserts may be molded or ground to their working shape. The molded types are more economical and have wide application. Ground inserts are needed for maximum accuracy and to produce well defined or sharp contours.

The effective rake angle is the combination of the tool holder’s angle of inclination and the rake built into the insert.

Not all face mills are used for large, flat machining. Smaller diameter face mills are used to ramp into a surface, plunge to a depth, and interpolate outwards to mill a pocket. The major variables in face mill bodydesign that will influence tool selection are:

Insert type toolholders for turning consist of a shank, head, insert pocket, and clamping hardware. Toolholders are either right or left handed, or neutral. The size and type of the toolholder are determined by:

The cutting tool's rake angle is the angle between the cutting edge and the cut itself. It may also be positive, negative, or neutral.

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Cutting tools for metalcutting have many shapes, each of which are described by their angles or geometries. Every one of these tool shapes have a specific purpose in metalcutting. The primary machining goal is to achieve the most efficient separation of chips from the workpiece. For this reason, the selection of the right cutting tool geometry is critical. Other chip formation influences include:

In turning, chipbreaking is critical to efficient work processing and good finishing qualities. Proper chipbreaking results from balancing the depth of the cut and the geometry of the tool. Many inserts have chipbreaker grooves molded into them. The four basic chip styles generated in turning are:

The search for performance improvement through geometry variation should begin with catalog tools, since there is often a brand and style which offers superior performance in a specific application.

The angle of inclination when viewed from the side or front is the angle of the insert seat or pocket in the toolholder, from front to back. This inclination can be either positive, negative, or neutral.

Insert size is designated by the largest circle which can be inscribed within the perimeter of the insert, called the inscribed circle. Insert size is directly connected to the toolholder size.

In face milling operations each insert cutter alternately enters and exits the workpiece and generates a short discontinuous chip. Most milling with insert cutters is done using the climb milling mode. This means that the insert cutting edge is biting into the work and creating the thickest part of the chip first and thinning the chip towards the exit point. This is the reverse of the conventional milling mode.